


Halfway

by SoVeryAverageMe



Category: Mighty Ducks (Movies)
Genre: College, Drinking, Fluff, M/M, NHL, Post-Canon, Texting, Yuletide 2016, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 11:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8889391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoVeryAverageMe/pseuds/SoVeryAverageMe
Summary: Charlie hasn't seen Adam since he left for Major Juniors at the end of sophomore year almost 6 years ago. A seemingly random text reunites them at a nameless Minneapolis bar.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [daisydiversions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisydiversions/gifts).



> I was originally matched with you because of Oofuri, but when I saw you had also requested Mighty Ducks... well, it's both a childhood favorite and guilty pleasure of mine, so it resulted in this. Hope you enjoy!

_Hey. I’m in town tonight. Do you want to meet up?_

The out of the blue text confuses Charlie. He hadn’t seen Adam since the end of their sophomore year at Eden Hall, and since then the two of them had fallen out of touch.

He wondered why, now of all times, Adam had decided to reach out again.

Charlie had nothing better to do. He had just finished finals and had one more semester to go in his social work degree. It seemed rude to turn Adam down.

And honestly… he wanted to see Adam again.

He texted back an awkward affirmative and the two worked out the details of their meeting with no sign of the casual joking and comfort of their past.

* * *

_“So this is it?” Charlie shrugs in a self-effacing way that, in reality, doesn’t hide his feelings at all._

_“Yeah. It’s weird to think that I won’t be coming back to Eden next year.” Adam says._

_The truth goes unspoken, but Charlie hears it anyway, ‘Next year I won’t be with the Ducks. I won’t be with you.’ The two continue to stand awkwardly at the gates of Eden. The rest of the Ducks had already left for home, but Charlie had stayed to help Adam finish packing and see him off._

“ _You’re going to be amazing, you know?” Charlie says with a small smile lighting up his face, “Even when you were on the Hawks I could tell you would go all the way someday.”_

_“Yeah… I guess,” Adam mumbles. Adam looks down at his suitcases and then looks back at Charlie, determination etched in his face, “I expect you to meet me out there someday.”_

_“I’m not the one that got scouted for Major Juniors,” Charlie says. He knows that as far as the Ducks have gone, in the end, they were holding Adam back._

_A sleek black car pulls up and a well-dressed man in a suit steps out. “Mr. Banks?”_

_“Yeah. That’s me.” The man nods and then silently starts to load Adam’s bags into the car, “I guess this is goodbye.”_

_“Don’t look so down Banksy. We’ll keep in touch.” Charlie smiles for real this time and opens his arms wide for a hug. Adam shuffles towards him and Charlie wraps his arms around him. Adam slowly relaxes into the hug, and then returns it with a tight hold._

_“I’m going to miss Eden.” Adam mumbles into Charlie’s shoulder._

_“Eden’s going to miss you.” They let go of each other and Adam takes a step towards the open car door._

_“Goodbye Charlie. Lead Varsity to the championships next year.” Adam’s smile wavers, as if he can’t believe that he won’t be wearing the 99 next year alongside Charlie._

_Charlie nods, “Kick butt in juniors and remember us Ducks when you’re raising the Cup.” Adam smiles and gets into the car._

_Right before the door slams closed, Charlie thinks he hears Adam whisper, “I don’t think I could ever forget you.”_

_Charlie keeps waving goodbye long after the car has disappeared in the distance._

* * *

Charlie does try to keep in touch. They exchange emails and texts all throughout junior year. Charlie keeps Adam updated on the Ducks and drama of Eden Hall, while Adam tells him stories of his billet home, new school, and new teammates. They scarcely go a day without talking to each other.

It would be impossible to keep it up. Has junior year turns over to senior year, both of their lives get increasingly busy.

Charlie has to concentrate on school, college applications, SATs, and graduation, all while trying to lead the Varsity team to the championships. Adam is busy getting ready for the Draft.

Their daily texts start coming every couple days, and then once a week, and then emails are exchanged only once a month, and slowly they stop coming at all.

By the time Charlie is starting at the University of Minnesota he hasn’t talked to Adam since he sent a congratulatory text to him about the Draft. Adam never responded.

For almost four years, Adam Banks is merely a headline in Charlie Conway’s life:

**_Banks #1 NHL Draft Pick_ **

**_Banks Wins Calder!_ **

**_Banks Scores Winning Goal!_ **

**_Banks on Track to Break NHL Records_ **

**_Banks Wins Conn Smyth Trophy!_ **

Charlie thought that it would remain this way. Adam’s life had diverged from his… he didn’t need Charlie Conway or the Ducks anymore. He was proud to watch his former teammate become so successful.

And then he got that text.

* * *

Charlie stands outside the bar that marked their designated meeting point. He rubs his hands together for warmth and shuffles his feet. He knows that he’s wasting time and should just go in before his nerves cause him to catch hypothermia.

He takes a deep breath, the below freezing air clearing his head, and pushes the door open. His eyes scan the patrons, before settling on the back of a brown-haired head sitting at the bar.

Even after all these years, Charlie can spot Adam a mile a way.

“Hey,” Charlie says while walking up to the empty barstool next to Adam. Adam startles and almost tips over the beer he had been nursing. He turns towards Charlie and… takes his breath away. The years have been good to Adam (and so had the NHL workout regime).

He looks more toned and his face has lost the boyish part of his ‘boyish charm.’ Charlie can’t help but to stare.

“Charlie?” Adam questions. Charlie shakes his head to clear it. Adam is a successful NHL player who could have anyone he wanted. Charlie needs to let go of his high school crush (although, Charlie admits that his fascination with one, Adam Banks, started much earlier than their Eden Hall days).

“Sorry. Just spacing out,” Charlie smiles, a little fake, but tinged with genuine interest, “How are you? It’s been a while.”

“Sorry about that... life got… busy,” Adam rubs his face sheepishly, “I’ve been really good. Hockey and all that.”

“That’s good. Congrats on… everything.” They fall into an awkward silence. Charlie misses their days on the ice, full of casual touches, chirping, and well… the stupidity of teenage boys.

Charlie orders a beer and drinks it while he assesses his former teammate, who just sits staring at the bar and looking… looking anywhere that’s not Charlie.

“Banks. Why did you invite me here?” Charlie asks. He’s frustrated – at Adam for randomly texting him, at himself for letting them losing contact, and at the world for, somehow always, placing the two of them at opposite ends of the same story. Hawk vs. Duck. JV vs. Varsity. College vs. NHL.

“I just wanted to see you again.” Adam looks at Charlie for a brief moment before turning back to his drink, “How is everyone?”

“They’re good. We don’t get to talk as much as we used to, but we still get together a couple times a year for a pick-up game,” Charlie replies. He sees the change of subject for what it is, but then again, Adam has always avoided talking about his problems.

“Ducks stick together, right?” Adam says, both nostalgia and wistfulness present in his voice, “I better get going. We have an early morning flight tomorrow.” He flags the bartender for the check and doesn’t hesitate to pay for Charlie’s drink too.

“Adam,” Charlie gets up to stop him from leaving, “Seriously, what was this all about? You text out of the blue for what? A couple drinks with an old friend?”

“It was nothing Charlie. I just thought that since I was in town—” Adam shakes his head, “It doesn’t matter. We’ve both moved on.”

“Moved on from what? You’re not making any sense Adam.”

Adam sighs, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and says, “I miss you. I miss the Ducks, but you’ve all moved on.” The ‘ _without me’_ goes unspoken.

Charlie was wrong. He thought that he had no choice but to see Adam get further and further away from him. That Adam would rise through the ranks of success while good ‘ole Charlie Conway was stuck in Minneapolis.

The truth was, Adam was thinking the same exact thing.

“Adam,” Charlie looks at him once more and then steps forward to envelope him in his arms, “I miss you too.” There’s no hesitation in Adam this time. He immediately returns the hug. They stand there enjoying each other’s warmth until the bartender awkwardly clears their throat.

They both let out a childish giggle has they pull apart. They walk out of the bar hand in hand.

They part ways in front of the bar. Charlie headed back home, while Adam waits to catch a taxi back to his hotel.

Has Adam’s taxi pulls off into the distance, Charlie can’t help but to smile. He waves until he can’t see the car anymore. Once it’s turned the corner, Charlie turns around, pulls his scarf tight around his neck, and starts the journey home.

His phone dings not a minute later:

_we play the Wild in two weeks, want tkts???_

_only if we can get drinks after ;)_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
